the cupcakes turned out great. but, however, I do believe that since this an A typical recipe, the author should have been more specific on terms of the butter. it doesn't say to soften it, cut it in pieces, how big of pieces, it just isn't very specific. ideally, a simple, but good, recipe is something an inexperienced baker could follow without worrying. in this recipe, you tend to get a little bit worried beforehand, when you look at the batter, it looks a bit like soup with chunks of butter in it. <br />take it from a 10 year old. (me!) it is a very good recipe. but tricky.<br />my mother is an experienced baker, and was wondering to, about the butter.<br />tip: great with lemon frosting.